Abbotts Hill Hilltop Happenings
January 25, 2021
Abbotts Hill Elementary
Website: https://www.fultonschools.org/abbottshilles
Location: 5575 Abbotts Bridge Road, Johns Creek, GA, United States
Phone: 470-254-2860
Mark Your Calendar
1/25 School Governance Council Meeting 3:00 pm
1/29 Picture Retakes (New Date - see information below)
1/31 Deadline to pre-order a yearbook for $30 (PTA membership did not include yearbook this year)
1/31 5th Grade congratulatory message and baby photo due
2/10 Curriculum Night for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade - 5:30 - 6:15 pm (virtual)
2/11 Curriculum Night for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade - 5:30 - 6:15 pm (virtual)
2/12 Professional Development Day (no school for students)
2/15 President's Day Holiday (school closed)
2/22 School Governance Council Meeting 7:30 am
3/1 Hardship Transfer Deadline
A Message From Dr. Stabler
Dear Abbotts Hill Families,
WOW! It was wonderful seeing the kids back in the building last week. They came back ready to learn and eager to reconnect with their peers and teachers. I am very proud of all our students as they are engaging in learning and maintaining proper behaviors in person and online.
For this semester, 60% of our students returned for Face-to-Face (F2F) learning, while the remaining 40% returned virtually. Daily attendance for our F2F students is easily monitored. Students who are attending virtually should log in daily by 7:40 am and remain online for the entire day (with the exception of lunch and recess). Please know that attendance will be taken multiple times per day and your child must be logged on to receive credit for the day. Also, at the end of the school day please make sure that your student logs off his or her computer completely (not just closing the screen). The student should shut down the computer by selecting the windows icon in the bottom left corner of the screen and selecting the shutdown option. If you have questions about this process, please contact the front office at 470-254-2860. Your continued support is greatly appreciated.
Curriculum Night
Please join your child’s teachers virtually to learn more about your child’s school day during the second semester of this school year. The 2nd Semester Curriculum Nights will be held on February 10 and February 11. Grades K-2 will meet parents on February 10 from 5:30-6:15 pm. and Grades 3-5 will meet parents on February 11 from 5:30-6:15 pm. Both sessions will be virtual. More information will be provided by your child’s teacher. We hope to see you soon!
Covid -19 Reporting
The Fulton County Board of Health and Fulton County Schools have developed an on-line portal for FCS parents/guardians to report student COVID-19 related cases. The portal has been updated for Spanish, Korean, and Chinese. FCS parent/guardians will find a dropdown at the top right for translations. www.fultonschools.org/ReportCOVID Please make a report to the FCBOH when your student is COVID-19 positive, has a pending COVID-19 test result, or has been in direct contact with a COVID-19 positive person. Also, please use this resource for official reporting rather than alerting the school and/or teacher. If you must engage the school/teacher, please do so after you have made an official report to the FCBOH. Lastly, to ensure the protection of our school community, please do not allow your child to attend school or school-sponsored events when he/she is ill and/or has any of the above COVID-19 concerns.
10-day Quarantine Effective Immediately
Fulton County Schools is reverting to a standard 10-day quarantine for individuals who report a COVID-19 exposure. New information suggests that a reduced quarantine of 7 days may not be long enough to detect an infection that shows up later in the quarantine period. Going back to a 10-day quarantine keeps the student or staff member at home longer, therefore reducing possible exposure to others. This graphic provides more detailed information.
Fulton Full-Time Online School
Beginning January 25, parents and students interested in a full-time online school option for School Year 2021-22 and beyond may submit an application via the FCS website. During the December Board Work Session, Dr. Gyimah Whitaker, Deputy Chief Academic Officer presented information about the school, including the origination of the concept and need. Now, more details are available for potential students to review via the Full-Time Online Schools’ information page, including a timeline and key milestones, proposed course offerings, examples of a “Day-in-the-Life” for students in grades 3 through high school, and how to apply. The application portal will be open 12 a.m. EST on January 25, and will close at midnight, February 5. and can be found here.
Picture Retakes Rescheduled to January 29
Just a reminder that we will be offering Picture Retakes on Friday, January 29 for those students wanting or needing to have their pictures retaken.
Face-to-face Students: If you would like a retake of the picture, please send in a note and return the pictures (from the original setting) with your child by Friday, January 29.
Remote Students: If your child is a remote learner and you have not picked up your child’s pictures, please call the office to arrange a pick-up time. You can join us on January 29 between 8:00-9:00 AM if your child needs their picture retaken. We will follow the same procedures that we did for our initial Picture Day in December. However, there is a not a sign-up sheet. Simply drive through the bus lane and a team member will greet your child and bring them to the room to have his or her picture retaken. Please bring the original pictures with you when you come.
Curriculum Corner by Mrs. Truesdale
Google Form: https://forms.gle/ufCXqY9ea3NotU2m8
Student Success Skills
Student Success Skills by Tashika Truesdale, CST
Do you ever look at another person and think “They are so much better at this than I am!” or “I wish I was as rich as that person!” .These thoughts are normal and we can’t help comparing ourselves to others sometimes. Our lives are inundated with comparisons – whether it be your siblings, peers, or complete strangers online. Has anyone ever told you that you look like a certain celebrity? Have you ever been told that you remind a person of someone they know? It’s not just in-person comparisons either. Social media fills our lives every day with the latest news, photos, and videos of peoples’ job promotions, weddings, vacations, children, and other exciting life events. It is hard to not compare ourselves to others. SOCIAL COMPARISON is human, we all do it.
Leon Festinger’s SOCIAL COMPARISON THEORY says that humans have a tendency to measure their self-worth based on how they compare to others. Festinger believed that humans have an innate desire to be successful and that we feel validated by our abilities based on how much better we are than others. He also found that we feel like a failure when we think that we are below someone else.
The key to not letting social comparison take you over is to work on SELF-ACCEPTANCE, including SELF-KNOWLEDGE and SELF-COMPASSION.
1) Focus on you. Instead of comparing yourself to others, focus on what you like about yourself and what you are good at. This can include identifying things that you want to improve in your life.
2) Find inspiration. Instead of wishing that you had what someone else has, use that person as inspiration to make improvements in your own life.
3) Be grateful. Rather than focusing on what you wish you had, focus on what you do have. Write down what you are grateful for every day.
4) Take social media breaks. Too much time on social media makes it too easy to compare ourselves to other people. Take the time to focus more on yourself and take breaks from social media.
5) Take care of yourself. Having a plan for your physical and mental health will help you to think more positively about yourself and about life in general. Eat well, exercise, read books, garden, cook, play an instrument, go to a museum, or do what you enjoy for yourself to find balance.
6) Be happy for others. Rather than wish you had someone else’s life or their successes, be happy for them. Nobody has a perfect life and focusing on being happy for someone can help you refrain from comparing yourself and thinking negatively about yourself.
7) Be present. Instead of focusing on mistakes in your past or worrying about what you would like to have in the future, accept where you are now. Maybe you are not done with school and feel like it’s never going to end. Accept it. Find the good in being in school. Enjoy what life has to offer you today – see that movie, read that book, try that new food, meet that person for coffee.
8) Be your own best friend. If your best friend made a mistake at work, would you tell her that she is a failure and a loser? Of course not, so don’t do it to yourself. Give yourself pep talks and comfort yourself just like you would a best friend. Tell yourself that it is okay that you made a mistake and that tomorrow is a new day.. If you would not say something to a friend, you should not say it to yourself.
Some things that you can try with your students to practice self-acceptance include:
1) Keep a gratitude journal. Every day, write down 3 things that you are grateful for.
2) Write a mission statement for your life. For example: My mission in life is to accept and embrace my strengths and my limitations. I will live my life honestly, passionately, and courageously. I will practice patience, kindness, and acceptance with everyone. My life shall be about adventure, risk-taking, and accepting change.
3) Replace social media with journal time. Reduce time on social media and start a journal where you can focus on yourself for a few minutes each day. Use an old-fashioned notebook or use a journal/diary app on your phone or tablet.
4) Who are you? Write down who you are and post it somewhere or put it in a place where you can look at it every day. Update it as you change and grow.
a. What do you like about yourself?
b. What are you good at?
c. What do you want to improve?
d. Where are you in life today?
e. What are your goals?
f. What makes you happy?
g. What things can you do for yourself more?
News From The Clinic
Please DO NOT send your child to school if your child(ren) meet any of the criteria below. FCS is asking that parents/guardians of FCS students to submit a COVID-19 Report ONLY if your child meets any of the criteria below.
- Has tested Positive for COVID-19
- Waiting for the results of a test for COVID-19
- Has been in close contact (within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes) in the last 14 days with someone diagnosed with COVID-19
Directions: ReportingPortalFlyer_Final.pdf (fultonschools.org)
DO NOT send your student to school or school sponsored events when he/she is ill and has any of the above COVID-19 concerns and/or until you have spoken with your healthcare provider, one of the FCS Student Health Services School Nurses, or a public health official.
News from the P.E. Department
Welcome back Jaguars! We hope everyone had a restful break! In PE we are moving on to ball handling/basketball skills. If your child is a remote learner, any ball about the size of a basketball will work for the activities. Please remind your child to wear comfortable clothing and sneakers on their PE days. If it's cold and they're wearing boots, they can bring their sneakers in a bag to change them for PE. If your child is wearing boots during a workout, it can cause foot or ankle pain and becomes very hot, which can lead to athlete's foot.
During the week of February 22, we will be kicking off our "Kids Heart Challenge" activities (formerly Jump Rope for Heart). The students will participate during their PE time and the virtual students will participate in activities online. We will send out more information as we get closer to that time. All families will be able to access the American Heart Association website online to make a donation. Last year our total donations were over $9,000! We look forward to another great year and helping those with heart disease!
Do you love technology? Are you interested in trying something new and problem solving along the way? Get excited because it is time to sign up for the Fulton County Technology Fair!
This year, any 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students who want to enter the ALL-VIRTUAL Fulton County Technology Fair may do so by following the guidelines below. We will NOT be having an Abbotts Hill Tech Fair first (as we typically do) due to the tight schedule that was just released by the Fulton County Technology Fair Committee. This is an exciting opportunity for your child to share his/her technology related interests and expertise with peers, teachers, and others.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
· Students must select the category in which they plan to enter a project. Please read about each category on the Learning Commons website (www.abbottshillmc.weebly.com) under the Technology Fair tab. Many resources are posted there to help you!
· Students may enter ONE project, either as an individual or part of a two-person team.
· Two person teams are more challenging now given Coronavirus, so if you are interested in working
with a partner, please think through how to do that in a safe, socially distanced manner.
· Students must select an adult advisor (parent, neighbor, family friend, grandparent, etc.) to assist them with the project, but the student himself/herself needs to be able to explain what they did and how their project works in detail in their project submission video.
· All work on the project is done outside of school.
· Read and follow ALL guidelines below.
· The winning projects in each category at the county competition will have the honor of representing Fulton County at the Georgia state competition!
LINKS AND DEADLINES:
All General Technology Fair information can be found by clicking HERE.
· Click the link to register between February 1st and February 28th.
· Submit your completed project video from March 1st - March 7th. Be sure to follow all guidelines!
· Judging will take place (virtually) from March 15th- March 29th.
Questions? Please email Mrs. Dickinson at Dickinson@fultonschools.org or tag her in the Learning Commons Channel on your class Team.
Have you explored the VIRTUAL Learning Commons Yet? It is filled with book resources, information, and many surprises! Check it out on the Learning Commons website at www.abbottshillmc.weebly.com
MORNING BROADCAST
Our fifth grade Jamming with the Jaguars Broadcast Team has been astounding viewers and working hard to start everyone’s day off with a smile! Have you missed a broadcast? Just visit the Learning Commons website at www.abbottshillmc.weebly.com and select “Morning Broadcasts” to watch the episodes. Each one is infused with fun, important information, and Jaguar spirit! All of our first semester’s broadcasts can be found here!
If your child would like to submit a Pet Parade video, we’d love to share it with the school on a future broadcast! Just take a short video (30 seconds or so) introducing everyone to your pet and email it to Mrs. Dickinson at Dickinson@fultonschools.org.
Fourth graders will soon have the opportunity to apply to be part of next year's Broadcast Team. Information will be shared in February regarding the application process. Being part of the Broadcast Team is a true leadership opportunity within our school. Students who are accepted as part of the team must demonstrate exemplary behavior, a strong work ethic, and be current with their schoolwork.
BATTLE OF THE BOOKS
It is almost time for our fifth meeting which means that all BoB participants should be reading their FIFTH BoB book right now! Remember that questions, answers, and evidence must be submitted by 8:00pm the night before the meeting.
3rd, 4th, and 5th graders are really enjoying their monthly meetings and are developing useful organizational skills in the process!
Students may borrow a book from the Learning Commons, read it online through MackinVia, check it out from the public library, or buy it. Please note that only ONE Battle of the Books book may be checked out at a time.
Advance notice must be provided if students are unable to attend a meeting for any reason.
All meeting schedules are available within the BoB Teams. General information is available on the Learning Commons website under “Battle of the Books”.
Reflections Recognition Program -North Fulton Council Winners
The 1st and 2nd place entries from our school Reflections Program were entered into the North Fulton Council PTA Reflections competition. Several students have now advanced to the state competition which will be held in April and other students received honorable mention. Congratulations Jaguars for representing our school.
Primary division (K-2nd grades)
Film Production: Gracelyn S. (Winner)
Visual Arts: Yuna C. (Winner), Clu J. (Honorable Mention)
Intermediate division (3rd-5th grades)
Dance Choreography: Alba M. (Winner)
Photography: Victor G. (Winner), Olivia S. (Honorable Mention)
Visual Arts: Naysa D. (Winner)
PTA News
Order Your 2020-2021 Yearbooks Before It's Too Late: You MUST pre-order your yearbook through the Balfour website: https://www.balfour.com/georgia/johns-creek/abbotts-hill-elementary-school. PTA memberships did not include a yearbook this year. Deadline to order a yearbook for $30 is this Sunday, January 31st. Check out this video for a sneak peek of the yearbook. Send an email with your child's name to lizlehnertz@gmail.com to check your order status.
5th Grade Yearbook Congratulatory Message and Baby Photo
Every year, 5th grade parents can submit a congratulatory message and baby photo for their 5th grader to be included in the yearbook. See this flyer for details on how to submit your message and/or photo. If you have any questions, please reach out to AHEpridelines@gmail.com. Entries are due by January 31st.
Call for Virtual Learning Photos for the Yearbook!
Submit photos of your child during virtual learning (August through present)! See this document for where to upload virtual pictures. Any questions, please reach out to AHEyearbook@gmail.com. If you did not take a photo with Lifetouch, please email a picture of your child to be included on the class page to AHEyearbook@gmail.com. Send in your pictures— we want all students to be included!
Any questions - contact AHEyearbook@gmail.com.
5th Grade Volunteer Opportunities:
Planning for 5th grade week is underway. Please email AHEpridelines@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering.
Hardship Transfer Deadline is March 1, 2021
Hardship Transfer Deadline: March 1, 2021
Hardship Transfer applications are available beginning Jan. 1 for parents who wish to apply for a 2021-22 hardship transfer or to renew a current hardship to another Fulton elementary, middle or high school. Parents will use an online form to enter and submit their information. Get more info and access the application here.
School Nutrition Website
Did you know that Fulton County Schools provides FREE school meals for F2F kids? They also provide FREE Meal Kits for our families. Looking to see what's for breakfast or lunch?
Please click on the link above to get information about all of the features provided by our School Nutrition Department.